President al-Assad: Syria’s war on terrorism is a battle of existence

President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday addressed the Syrian Arab army through Jaish al-Shaab (The Army of the People) magazine on the 69th anniversary of its foundation.

In his address, President al-Assad extended heart-felt congratulations to the Syrian army’s commanders and rank and file on the occasion, saying that they held up a shining example in giving, sacrifice and loyalty to homeland.

Since its inception, the Syrian army has proved to be the nation’s impregnable fortress and the defender of its rights and dignity, the President said.

“Since its foundation and until this day, the Syrian army continues to prove that it is competent enough to carry out the mission that the Syrian people entrusted them with; that is to preserve security, stability and defend land, and to stand up for what is right,” the President said.

President al-Assad added that the Syrian Army carries on every day the war of defending Homeland, tears down the pillars of the cross-borders terrorism, break down the dreams of its masters and supporters by heroism and sacrifices of the Syrian soldiers to take Syria to land of peace and security.

The President congratulated the Army for the citizens’ confidence who supported the Army and stood by it in one rank to defend Homeland, rejecting any form of subordination to the external and adhering to their national, independent decision and expressing their free will.

President al-Assad saluted the Syrian steadfast citizens who support their Army against the takfiri terrorism to go ahead towards victory and restore security and stability to every bit of the Homeland’s soil.

The President said that our war with terrorism is a war of destiny and existence where there is no space for any mildness, adding that we are today determined, more than any time before, to resist projects of division and colonial sedition which target Syria and the whole region.

“Because we reject compromising our causes or abandoning our rights, we should not depart from our principles… there is no relinquishing of our rights and there is no retreat from defending Homeland,” President al-Assad said.

The President appreciated the Army’s high efforts exerted to fulfill its noble duties in protecting Syria and guaranteeing the future of its sons, greeting the mothers and families of martyrs.